Recovery show is his new turn

Ex-bobsledder hopes reality program "The Comebacks" will be an inspiration to people

Published 9:26 pm, Thursday, January 19, 2012

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Schoen LaBombard, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison films for a reality TV show about recovering addicts with his director Jad El'Esencio (at left) at the Palace Theater in Albany Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Schoen LaBombard, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison films for a reality TV show about recovering addicts with his director Jad El'Esencio (at left) at the Palace ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Schoen LaBombard, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison films a reality TV show about recovering addicts at the Palace Theater in Albany Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Schoen LaBombard, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison films a reality TV show about recovering addicts at the Palace Theater in Albany Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012. (John ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Schoen LaBombard, left, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison films for a reality TV show about recovering addicts with his director Jad El'Esencio at the Palace Theater in Albany Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Schoen LaBombard, left, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison films for a reality TV show about recovering addicts with his director Jad El'Esencio at the Palace Theater ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Filming a reality TV show about recovering addicts are (from left) director Jad El'Esencio, life skills facilitator Richard Phinizy, Schoen LaBombard, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in and out of prison, and Albany police officer Kevin Seel outside the Palace Theater in Albany Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Filming a reality TV show about recovering addicts are (from left) director Jad El'Esencio, life skills facilitator Richard Phinizy, Schoen LaBombard, former bobsledder and a recovering addict who has been in ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

Recovery show is his new turn

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Schoen LaBombard's Olympic dreams vanished as fast as a bobsled disappears around a curve.

That's how addiction is.

In 1993, 26-year-old LaBombard was a promising bobsled driver. A year later, he stole $28,000 from business owners who thought they were sponsoring his Olympic hopes when really they were bankrolling his cocaine habit.

LaBombard's life is full of twists, turns and harrowing moments. He has been in and out of prison. He's been drug-free and he has relapsed. He has run a successful company only to see it crash when he used drugs again.

Now 44 years old, 3 years clean and just 6 months out of prison, LaBombard has a new dream. He wants to produce and star in a reality TV show about recovering addicts called "The Comebacks." The casting call for the Albany-based show is Sunday at the Palace Theater.

Carpenter Palumbo said she likes LaBombard's vision because "The Comebacks" will showcase recovery in a more positive light than "Intervention," a popular A&E series that focuses on addicts being confronted by friends and family who want them to get treatment.

More Information

Casting call

When: Sunday

Where: The Palace Theater, Albany

Time: 5 to 8 p.m.

What: A casting call for "The Comebacks," a pilot for a reality TV show following addicts in recovery.

Who: Recovering addicts willing to share their stories and live in an Albany apartment as part of a reality TV series. The show is also looking for facilitators to lead group sessions and anyone with a "comeback" story to play supporting roles in the series.

"'The Comebacks' is a little more like 'The Biggest Loser'," Carpenter Palumbo said. "We want people rooting for someone in recovery."

Schoen (pronounced Shawn) LaBombard became addicted to painkillers and alcohol after he injured his Achilles' tendon while training for the bobsled team.

He tried cocaine, and he was hooked. LaBombard scammed business owners around Batavia, N.Y., into giving him money for his training, but used the money to buy drugs.

LaBombard was a gifted speaker and convincing people to believe in him came easily.

"I would say anything, I would do anything, to support my habit," he said.

Eventually, he was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay the money back.

LaBombard got out of jail and stole money from his grandmother and from a Rochester company where he worked to pay for drugs. He was convicted in 1997 for forgery and larceny for stealing money from his employer. When released from prison in 1999, a prison guard convinced him to go to Father Peter Young's rehabilitation program in Albany.

LaBombard went to his first Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the old Salvation Army across from the Palace Theatre. He walked into the group of laughing men, and they hugged and welcomed him. "I wanted what they had," LaBombard said.

He married a Wynantskill woman and started a camouflage business with his brothers-in-law. Their company, No Trace, used a cloth that hid human scent.

With his skills of persuasion, he got $500,000 in venture capital, partnered with camo maker Mossy Oak, and recruited Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills to be a spokesman for the company.

While fighting with his partners about selling No Trace, he withdrew money from the company's bank accounts. LaBombard said he was using it for a trade show, but his partners thought otherwise. He was arrested in 2004 and charged with stealing $8,550. He was released on bail.

After nine years clean, LaBombard started using cocaine. His marriage and company fell apart.

He fell back on his skills as a smooth talker, the same gift that made the camo business a success.

"It also can be a weapon, a dangerous one, when I'm using," he said.

LaBombard said he helped arranged a date for friends with a call girl and then told the woman he was an Albany County Sheriff's investigator. He said if she gave him $2,500, she wouldn't get into trouble. The woman gave him the money, but later contacted police.

LaBombard was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer, larceny and rape. The rape charges were dropped and he was never indicted on any charges. LaBombard said he never had sex with the woman. He said he only wanted her money to buy cocaine.

In 2009, he was sentenced to prison on the old larceny charges related to the money taken from the camouflage business. He served two years and was released in July.

Revealing his criminal history is part of LaBombard's effort to rebuild his name.

"When we are in recovery, we have to live with our past but we have to use our past as a building block to our future," he said.

On Sunday, his team of supporters will choose at least four recovering addicts who are willing to live with LaBombard and a bunch of TV cameras for a couple of months. He plans to create four episodes and then sell the series to a TV channel like A&E.

Though he has only been out of prison for six months and clean for three years, LaBombard said he can teach people about recovery.